The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-08-18
THE DEADLY CIGARETTE.
Tho Latest Victim of the Pernicious Little
Paper-Covered Tube.

Paper Covered Tube.
Of all the forms of using tobacco the
small paper-covered tube known as the
cigarette is the most deadly. There
are many reasons for this. In the first
place the cigarette smoker has no as
surance that the tobacco is any thing
more than rubbish which can not be
used in any other manner. Secondly,
the paper is we'll known to be exceed
ingly poisonous; not more so than gen.
uine tobacco, probably, but there is a
wild hilarity which follows the smoking
of paper that speedily breaks down the
strongest nervous system. Thirdly.
the cigarette is an insidious evil. 1t is
so mild, and so handy, and so cheap,
that the unfortunate smoker uses many
more of them than he has any idea of.
The other 997 reasons need not be given
here, as they have been at various times
discussed in the public press, and so
great has been the influence of these
exposures that cigarette smoking has
increased over 500 per cent. during the
last four years. Yet there are people
who scoff at the power of the press! It
is only necessary to show conclusively
that certain thing is very harmful,
in order to get thousands of people to
test the question for their own satisfac-
ton.
The recent case of Mr.. John w. Steb-
bins, of Wyoming, will do much to open
the eyes of the users of the vile weed in
it's vilest form. 1t will pain many good
people to know that the cigarette has
insinuated itself into the rural simplici-
ty of Wyoming. Hitherto the inhab-
itants of that Territory have been a
guileless pastoral people who occa-
sionally indulged in scalping, cattle
raids and bad whisky, enlivened by a
murder now and then, but never has
their worst enemy charged them with
smoking cigarettes. Now, alas, al
this is changed. 1t is no uncommon
sight to see gang of cowboys peacea
bly, returning to camp after sacking ;
village, each with cigarette in hi
mouth. True, some of the most noble
of the cowboys stood out against tn
growth of this habit and shot few O
the smokers, but although this method
of argument seemed to be conclusive ii
individual cases yet matters of polio.
prevented its universal adoption. S
in spite of the best intentions on tn
part of the opponents OF tn
vice it continued to sprea'
among the unsophisticated peopl
I of the plains. Stebbins fell a
: easy victim to the cigarette and smoke
! necessarily. The effect of the habit o
. him was not noticed until one day h
:. fired at tenderfoot from the East, thre
!. times in succession and missed him ey
cry time. This alarmed his friends an
!. they besought him with tears in thei
= eyes TO abandon habit that was doin
so much to undermine his usefulne:
: and influence on the plains. Stebbir
himself felt rather shaken and consulte
physician, who told him that if he di
not give up cigarette smoking he woul
:. not live six months. Stebbins agree
/ 10 QulG-UtAI Wcth. Ahio 10 o POOuAloAA -
= = of the cigarette smokers. They are q
= ways going to quit some time in Il
= , future. That night there was a soci
: card party in the shanty. Stebbins S
: = on the powder keg. He let cigaret
:. :. stump fall on the keg. The party
: : stantly broke up. Stebbins and pa
10 of the keg were last seen going throus
:. the roof. AS neither have yet cor
y down serious fears are beginning to
y entertained on that ranch that SON
). thing has happened to Stebbins. Th
:. :. it is that the Doctors most sanguine {
~ pectations have been realized and t
!. name of John Warrington Stebbins b
g. been added to the already long list
~ ~ the victims of the deadly cigarette.
=. Detroit Free Press.
80 D,~a R,,AaIo G,rrine